Apparatus for instruction of stringed instrument positioning

ABSTRACT

An attitude sensor is secured to a stringed instrument and an indicator responsive to the sensor provides indication to a student of each departure of the instrument from desired instrument positioning during play.

United States Patent 1191 11 3,726,175 Kaplan [4 1 Apr. 10, 1973APPARATUS FOR INSTRUCTION OF [56] References Cited T D IN TR ME T i U NUNITED STATES PATENTS [76] Inventor: Burton Kaplan, 817 W E 1 ll gser eta1 ..84/28l 1 any New York 10025 2,651,961 9/1953 Heimers ..84/281 [22]Filed: Oct. 28, 1971 [21] APPL No: 193 412 Primary ExaminerRichard B.Wilkinson 1 Assistant Examiner-John F. Gonzales I Atl0rneyElmer R.Helferich et a1. [52] US. Cl. ..84/470, 84/281, 84/465 511 int. c1..0091 15/00 1 ABSTRACT [58] held of Search An attitude sensor is securedto a stringed instrument 200/DIG. 2, 61.47

and an indicator responsive to the sensor provides indication to astudent of each departure of the instrument from desired instrumentpositioning during play.

10 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures APPARATUS FOR INSTRUCTION OF STRINGEDINSTRUMENT POSITIONING FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention pertainstomusic education and more particularly to methods and apparatus forinstructing students in the art of playing stringed instruments.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Violin teachers are in general agreement asto certain basic student-instrument interrelationships, e.g., the properpositioning of the violin during play. Thus, alltypically instruct thatthe instrument be held in substantially horizontal position by thecollar-bone and jaw-bone with some assist from the shoulder andstringfingering hand, the top ofthe violin being inclined slightly soasto face the listener. The neck of the instrument is disposed betweenthe proximal phalanx of the forefinger and the thumb of thestring-fingering hand. While the student, whether beginning or remedial,readily positions the violin initially in such desired manner, hecharacteristically permits the instrument to depart from its properposition during playing. By the term playing, I include privatepractice, concert, rehearsal or practice at a lesson.

Oral instructional efforts customarily undertaken to influence thestudent in the continuation of such proper positioning of the violinduring his playing of the instrument are less effective than is desired,and are effective to such extent only during practice at a lesson.Whereas deficiencies in tonal reproduction may indicate improperinstrument positioning to the skilled artist, such deficiencies do notso inform the beginning student and, accordingly, are not a source ofcorrective influence.

Violin instructional devices in the nature of harnesses effective toconstrain a student to desired positions as shown, e.g., in US. Pats.No. 1,906,584 and No. 2,240,696, are not seen as providing any suchcorrective influence. These devices are effectively crutches providingunnatural assistance not likely to continue their limited effectivenesswhen dispensed with. Furthermore, during use thereof, these devicesprevent experimentation by the student, thereby eliminating thepossibility of error on his part. Evidently, these devices cannot assistthe student in developing a sense of guidance independent of thedevices.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION I have observed that the attention of thestringed instrument student is diluted by the variables he is requiredto control to such an extent that the attention he in fact directs toany particular variable, e.g., instrument positioning, is inadequate.Accordingly, I have concluded that instructional method and apparatuslikely to provide improved corrective influence must have the effect offocusing the attention of the student on distinct variables and developin him an independent sense of guidance. Such method and apparatus arethe primary objects of this invention.

It is an additional object of this invention to provide instructionalmethod and apparatus for use in private practice independently of aninstructor.

A further object of the invention is to provide instructional apparatuswhich interferes minimally with the freedom of movement of the student.

In the attainment of the foregoing and other objects, the inventionprovides apparatus, including attitudesensitive signal generating meanssecured to the instrument, effective .on predetermined deviation fromproper instrument positioning to direct the students attention to hismanner of positioning the instrument. In accordance with the method ofthe invention, such apparatus is provided and secured to the instrument.

The foregoing and other objects and features of the invention will beevident from the following detailed description thereof and from thedrawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a plan view of a violinequipped in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the arrangement of FIG. 1 brokenaway in part to show detail.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a circuit suitable for use in theapparatus of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIGS. 1 and 2 depict aviolin of standard construction comprising a top 10 defining F-holes 12and supporting tail piece 14 and bridge 16. Strings 18 are stretchedacross finger-board 20 supported by neck 22 over the bridge and aresecured to the tail piece..The violin back (not shown) is spaced fromtop 10 by ribs 24 which define upper and lower rounded contours 24a and24b. As shown in FIG. 1, the contours are of predetermined thickness tand are widely recognized as elements of the violin having substantiallynon-vibratory surfaces.

An accessory device provided by the invention for use in conjunctionwith the described violin includes a housing 26 and L-shaped members 28connected to housing 26 for securing the same to the violin. Forpurposes discussed below, members 28 are secured to the housing in suchmanner that some variation in the orientation of the housing to theviolin may be accommodated. Exemplary structure for this purpose isshown in FIG. 2 and comprises screws 30 which pass through members 28and engage arcuate slots 32 provided in the forward wall of the housing.Members 28 may themselves be equipped with vertical slots 34 toaccommodate variations in rib dimensions.

In securing housing 26 to the violin, members 28 preferably engagenon-vibratory surfaces thereof, e.g., engage contours 24a and 24bsuchthat the accessory device does not interfere with tonalreproduction. In the course of such securement, screws 30 are loosenedand members 28 are expanded sufficiently to extend beyond contours 24aand 24b. Upon positioning of members 28 securely on contours 24a and24b, and upon desired adjustment of the angulation between housing 26and the violin, the screws are tightened.

The electrical circuit elements of FIG. 3 may be supported interiorly ofhousing 26 with attitude or tiltsensing switch element 36 secured to thehousing rearward wall by clip 38. This element may typically comprise amercury switch and, on movement of the violin in counterclockwisefashion from its FIG. 2 position, the mercury globule 40 will bridge theswitch contacts.

Referring to FIG. 3, one contact of switch element 36 is connected byline 42 to a contact member 44 resiliently supported in housing 26 andconnected to the armature 46 of electromagnetic coil 48. One terminal ofthe coil is connected by line 50 to a second contact member 52 fixedlysupported in housing 26 in position engaging contact member 44 when coil48 is unenergized. The remaining terminal of coil 48 is connected byline 54 to one terminal of a battery 58 and the remaining batteryterminal is connected by line 60 to the second contact of switch 36. Thecircuit of FIG. 3 will be recognized as a conventional buzzer typeannunciator in association with switch 36. In operation thereof, whenthe contacts of switch 36 are bridged by globule 40, coil 48 isenergized by battery 58 and thereupon displaces armature 46 such thatcontact member 44 is removed from contact member 52 with consequentdeenergization of the coil. As the contact members are thereuponre-engaged, the coil is reenergized. This activity is cyclic throughoutperiods of closure of switch 36 and gives rise to desirable sustainedaudible output. Where desired, a switch 62 may be introduced in thecircuit of FIG. 3 so as to provide for the disabling of the buzzer atthe option of the student or teacher. Housing 26 may incorporate anactuator for such switch 62 conveniently disposed exteriorly of thehousing. By this arrangement, the accessory apparatus may be maintainedfixed to the violin and may be readi ly silenced during periods ofverbal instruction or of transporting the violin.

The methods of the invention, whereby the attention priorities of thestudent are conformed to the interests of the teacher, involve the stepsof providing the accessory apparatus and equipping the instrumenttherewith. Preferably, the method is practiced by providing theapparatus, determining the proper positioning of the instrument for agiven student and equipping the instrument with the accessory apparatusin such manner as to insure that an indication is provided to thestudent on each occurrence of his positioning of the instrument inimproper position. Evidently, a limited range of proper positioningexists and may vary somewhat from teacher to teacher. The tilt-sensitiveswitch means of the accessory apparatus may be readily selected toprovide for inactivity of the apparatus in such range and thevariablepositioning elements of the apparatus, e.g., slots 32 and screws30, readily accommodate the adjustment of the orientation of thetilt-sensitive switch element relative to the violin into an initialposition within such range.

In the use of theapparatus and method of the invention, it has beenobserved that the average student is instructed as respects his properpositioning of the violin in relatively short order and thereafter playswithout energizing the accessory apparatus, despite that the same isactive and prepared to provide indications of deviation from properpositioning. It has been observed further that on the removal of theaccessory apparatus after limited use thereof, the student exhibits amature habit of consistently maintaining proper instrument positioning,evidence of his development of an independent sense of guidance.

While discussion to this juncture has related to the methods andapparatus of the invention as applied to proper positioning of thestringed instrument in respect of its attitude relative to an axisextending substantially longitudinally through the instrument, theinvention is of course equally applicable to providing correctiveinfluence for deviation from proper instrument positioning relative toany axis, e.g., an axis transverse to the instrument strings, byappropriate disposition of the tiltsensitive switch. In addition, theinvention contemplates indicating to the student his instrumentpositioning deviations of both polarities, e.g., up or down, relative tothe desired axis. In the embodiment of FIG. 2, the positions of switch36 contacts and globule 40 may be interchanged to sense clockwisemovement of the instrument. Bipolar movements may be sensed concurrentlyby use of multiple switches or a single multi-contact switch.

While the apparatus and method of the invention have been described byway of a particularly preferred embodiment thereof, numerous changes inthe described apparatus will be readily evident to those skilled in theart. Thus, for example, the tilt-sensitive switch element may comprise apendulous gravityresponsive switch or the like. The switch may bemounted directly on the stringed instrument or may be mounted forvariable positioning within the housing therefor rather than in theabove-described arrangement wherein the housing itself is mounted foradjustable positioning relative to the instrument. In the latterinstance, the housing may be secured to the non-contoured, i.e.,vertical portions of the ribs, to the scroll, etc., in fixed manner.

For securing the accessory apparatus to the instrument, the standardchin rest clamp may be readily employed. Furthermore, theelectromechanical buzzer described above may be substituted for by ahost of indicators, e.g., piezoelectric annunciators, etc. Thetiltsensitive switch element may be arranged separately in the housingsecured to the instrument and the cooperative circuit elements of FIG. 3may be contained in a further assembly secured to the body of thestudent.

The embodiment particularly disclosed is thus intended in a descriptiveand not in a limiting sense. The true spirit and scope of the inventionis defined in the folfor securing said first means to said instrument,said first means comprising:

a. a voltage source;

b. attitude-sensitive switch means; and

c. indicator means connected to said voltage source by said switchmeans, said switch means being rendered conductive on occurrence of saidpredetermined positioning of said instrument, said voltage sourcethereupon energizing said indicator means to indicate said predeterminedinstrument positioning.

2. The invention claimed in claim 1 including a housing for containmentof said first means, said switch means being fixedly supported in saidhousing, said second means being connected to said housing by meansproviding for variation in the orientation of the securement of saidfirst means to said instrument.

3. The invention claimed in claim 1 wherein said instrument is a violin,said second means providing stringed instrument in a predeterminedposition during the playing thereof including the step of equipping theinstrument with apparatus both permitting him to change the position ofsaid instrument and providing an indication to him upon each occurrenceof his positioning of the instrument in a position having preselectedrelation to said predetermined position.

8. The method claimed in claim 7 wherein said apparatus provides anaudible indication on each said occurrence.

9. The method claimed in claim 7 wherein said step of equipping theinstrument is practiced by affixing said apparatus to a non-vibratorysurface of said instrument.

10. A method for teaching a student to maintain proper positioning of astringed instrument during the playing thereof including the steps of:

a. determining a range of proper positioning of the instrument for thestudent;

b. providing a voltage source, indicator means and attitude-sensitiveswitch means connected to said source and to said indicator means fordetecting instrument positioning having predetermined relation to saidproper positioning range and thereupon connecting said indicator meansto said voltage source; and

c. securing at least said switch means to said instrument.

1. In combination, a stringed instrument, first means for indicatingpredetermined positioning of said instrument and second means connectedto said first means for securing said first means to said instrument,said first means comprising: a. a voltage source; b. attitude-sensitiveswitch means; and c. indicator means connected to said voltage source bysaid switch means, said switch means being rendered conductive onoccurrence of said predetermined positioning of said instrument, saidvoltage source thereupon energizing said indicator means to indicatesaid predetermined instrument positioning.
 2. The invention claimed inclaim 1 including a housing for containment of said first means, saidswitch means being fixedly supported in said housing, said second meansbeing connected to said housing by means providing for variation in theorientation of the securement of said first means to said instrument. 3.The invention claimed in claim 1 wherein said instrument is a violin,said second means providing securement of said first means tonon-vibratory surfaces of said violin.
 4. The invention claimed in claim2 wherein said instrument is a violin, said second means providingsecurement of said first means to non-vibratory surfaces of said violin.5. The invention claimed in claim 1 wherein said indicator meanscomprises an electromechanical buzzer.
 6. The invention claimed in claim5 wherein said switch means comprises a mercury switch.
 7. A method forteaching a student to maintain a stringed instrument in a predeterminedposition during the playing thereof including the step of equipping theinstrument with apparatus both permitting him to change the position ofsaid instrument and providing an indication to him upon each occurrenceof his positioning of the instrument in a position having preselectedrelation to said predetermined position.
 8. The method claimed in claim7 wherein said apparatus provides an audible indication on each saidoccurrence.
 9. The method claimed in claim 7 wherein said step ofequipping the instrument is practiced by affixing said apparatus to anon-vibratory surface of said instrument.
 10. A method for teaching astudent to maintain proper positioning of a stringed instrument duringthe playing thereof including the steps of: a. determining a range ofproper positioning of the instrument for the student; b. providing avoltage source, indicator means and attitude-sensitive switch meansconnected to said source and to said indicator means for detectinginstrument positioning having predetermined relation to said properpositioning range and thereupon connecting said indicator means to saidvoltage source; and c. securing at least said switch means to saidinstrument.